Four weeks as a PlaceShapers board member
15 October 2024
This two-way conversation was a great opportunity to share our views, as Placeshapers, and to hear from the regulator about the operating environment and how it is being regulated.
I’m just short of four weeks into my new role as a board member at Placeshapers and I’m thrilled to bring an update to my fellow colleagues.
Firstly, I have to say the welcome I’ve received has been unlike any I’ve experienced before. I think that’s down to the unique culture of Placeshapers, a group of different organisations brought together by a shared commitment to identify, and respond to, the unique needs within our communities, enabling them to thrive. Those shared values have created a membership group that is welcoming, inclusive and engaging, something I truly value.
One of the opportunities I’ve been given as a member of the board is to attend the quarterly meeting between Placeshapers and the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH), and my first one took place this week.
This two-way conversation was a great opportunity to share our views, as Placeshapers, and to hear from the regulator about the operating environment and how it is being regulated.
The meeting saw Catherine Ryder, Matthew Walker and I in discussion with Jonathan Walters, Deputy Chief Executive at the RSH and Will Perry, its Director of Strategy. It was a really insightful session, where we were given a great overview of key areas, including:
- the transition to a new Government
- an update on the financial position within the sector given increasing financial pressures
- a progress update on consumer regulation and the new inspection regime
- updates on forthcoming publications.
The session also gave us a great opportunity to give feedback on some of the frustrations of members; thanks to Catherine for her excellent input.
These included issues around the Continuous Market Engagement funding route effectively coming to an end under the current Affordable Homes Programme. What we now know is that these challenges are recognised and understood by Government, so it will be interesting to see how these are addressed.
Having heard the update, it has further confirmed in my mind that we stand well placed as place-shaping, community-focused organisations to meet the demands of the new regulatory regime.
Our consistent focus on our customers and their communities aligns well with the outcomes of the new regime and the outputs it aims to deliver. We're positioned well to build new homes and more importantly, strong and sustainable communities.
The operating environment is not without risk and the financial challenges will continue, even if the much-mooted rent settlement is announced in the forthcoming budget.
This area, together with a wider variety of other risks, will feature in the upcoming sector risk profile, which will be a timely reminder for our boards and executive teams of the risks we need to be alive to.
I know that a number of areas covered in my blog will also be centrepiece at our upcoming Placeshapers conference in November. This is a free, virtual conference for all Placeshapers members and, with the agenda released last week, promises to be a really interesting two days. Full details of the conference and how to register are on the Placeshapers website.
Please just shout if you’d like any more information on anything I’ve covered and once again, thank you for the really positive welcome to life as a Placeshapers board member.